Gen Con Art Show

The Gen Con Art Show is an exhibition for gaming artists, as well as other related artists, to show and sell their work to the audience of GenCon.

The Art

The majority of art is in the fantasy art or sci-fi realm, but it is certainly not limited to those genres. Horror, cyberpunk, steampunk and comic book art are also well represented. Much of the work shown is published in games that are available at GenCon, but many artists will also have examples of their personal work and fine art, as well.

The Artists

The GenCon Art Show is among the best, if not the best place to meet the illustrators that give table-top and role playing games their visual components. Many of the artists attend other conventions, but GenCon has the largest draw for the gaming industry artists, specifically. Around 80 artists have attended GenCon Indy in recent years. Each year there is an Artist Guest of Honor. They will have a booth towards the front of the show, occasionally doing demonstrations at the booth. They will sell art and do signings just like the other artists in attendance. Guests of Honor also host panels and discussions on various topics ranging from their own careers to more generalized art related discussions.

Awards are given out each year at the Art Show for a variety of categories including, but not limited to, Best Body of Work, Best Print and Juror's Choice Awards. The panel of judges includes that years Guest of Honor, the previous year's Best Body of Work winner and another respected member of the artist community, often an art director for one of the gaming companies.

While most of the artists in attendance are published in games, this is not a requirement. Many artists have work published in comics, children's literature and other illustration fields. Much of the work shown at the GenCon art show is copyrighted, either by the artist or by the publisher of the book or game the art is for. It is inappropriate to take pictures of the art without asking permission first.

Location

The art show, or artist alley, has been located in the GenCon Exhibitor's Hall since 2004. In 2002 and 2003, the first two years GenCon was held in Indianapolis, the art show was held across the corridor from the exhibitor's hall. Prior to that, while GenCon was in Milwaukee, the art show was on a different floor in a different wing from the exhibitor's hall, causing the show to suffer from a lack of foot traffic. With the move in location, the GenCon Art Show has grown in size and has become a bustling part of the exhibitor's hall.

How IT Works

What To Do There

Artists purchase space in the show. The space includes 2-4 panels for artists to display work, as well as 6 foot tables for art and products to be displayed. During Exhibitor Hall hours (usually 10-6 Thursday through Saturday, 10-4 on Sunday), artists will sit at their tables, sell art, discuss their work with fans. Fans can also request autographs on cards and books featuring the artists work. Many artists show original work as well as prints, and often other items with their work, such as cards, T-shirts, sketch books, or independently distributed games. Most artists will do on-the-spot sketches for fans. It is at the artist's discretion whether they chose to charge for sketches. For more elaborate sketches, or specific requests, the fee May Be higher.

Payment System

The payment system in the GenCon art show is unique. The buyer selects the art they would like to purchase. The artist gives them a ticket with a description of the purchase and price noted. The buyer can collect several of these from Various Artists if they are purchasing multiple pieces of art. They take the tickets to the front desk of the art show where they can pay, in one transaction, with cash or credit card. Once they have paid, they return to the artist(s), give them a receipt and collect their newly purchased artwork. While this system seems cumbersome at first, it is actually much easier on the artists, as well as those wishing to purchase multiple pieces or use credit cards.

Signings

With very few exceptions, artists are paying out of pocket for their table, as well as their flights and hotel costs. When asking an artist to sign numerous cards or books, it is considered good form to purchase a print, or offer payment for an on-the-spot sketch. Artists that have done extensive work for certain games will often be inundated with requests for autographs. It is helpful for fans to be mindful of the demands placed on artists when making their own requests.

Portfolio Reviews

Many young artists bring their portfolios to GenCon. There are official portfolio reviews scheduled in the art show. Several art directors for gaming companies will spend time looking over people's portfolios to discuss the art and to give constructive criticism as well as advice on how best to approach getting professional work, if it is appropriate for the artist to do so. Artists with their portfolios may also approach more established artists at their tables to get professional input, which can often be valuable to an artist breaking into the industry. It is important for new artists to be aware that the artists involved with the art show need to tend to sales and fan requests.

Artists That Have Attended

Artists that have recently attended GenCon: Amy Ashbaugh, Steve Argyle 1, John Armbruster [http://www.johnarmbrusterart.com/}], Drew Baker 2, Brent Barret, Steven Belledin 3, Michael Bielaczyc 4, Jeff Carlisle 5, Bill Cavalier, Matt Covatta 6, James Cole, Jason Cole, Storn Cook 7, Thomas Denmark 8, Alan Dyson 9, Jeff Easley 10, Steven Ellis 11, John Esh, Jason Engle, Emily Fiegenschuh, Tracy Flynn, Sarah Frary 12, Randy Gallegos 13, Steven Gilberts 14, Kathleen Hardy, Justin Hillgrove 15, Andrew Hunter, Kennon James 16, Scot James, Eugene Jaworski 17, Jeff Lee Johnson, Doug Kovacs 18, Heather Kreiter 19, John Kauffman, Robert Krauss, Diesel LaForce, April Lee 20, Patricia Ann Lewis-MacDougall 21, Rhonda Libbey 22, Chuck Lukacs 23, Larry MacDougall 24, Jeremy McHugh 25, Casey McMains 26, Michelle Martin, Kurt Miller 27, Raven Mimura 28, Stanley Morrison 29, William O’Connor 30, Dustin Pageloff, Grace Palmer, Jim Pavalec, Laura Pelick, Connie Persamieri, Jeff Peterson, Jeff Prescott, Mark Poole, Steve Prescott 31, Wayne Reynolds 32, Nigel Sade 33, Devon Schiller, Dan Scott 34, Robert Scott 35, Keith Senkowski 36, Julia Sprenz 37, John Stanko, Tony Steele, William Stolpin 38, Kathleen Summers, Steven Thomas, Ben Thompson 39, Andrew Trabbold, Beth Trott 40, Brad Williams 41, Charles Urbach 42, Susan VanCamp, Franz Vohwinkle 43, Ian Williams, Justin Winters, David Wong, Brent Woodside, Tamie Yost, Jennifer Zelasco